


Eros Day

by Wolfheart



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Family, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Festivals, Flashbacks, Friendship, Gen, Gift Giving, Holidays, Multi, Non-Linear Narrative, Past Relationship(s), Unhealthy Relationships, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Unresolved Tension, because i mean this is a narrative that follows Caleb lbr, spoilers up to episode 49
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-10-29 03:23:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17800154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfheart/pseuds/Wolfheart
Summary: It's Eros Day! A day of love and romance. A day to spend time with your significant other or loved ones.Caleb has a bad history when it comes to love, but Jester was insistent about celebrating Eros Day with the Mighty Nein. Bad memories are resurfacing, but he's willing to try. At least, he was up until they drew names for a gift exchange.AKA: A simple Valentine's Day fic that got out of control and not so simple. Fjord/Caleb endgame with some Beau/Yasha gonna be sprinkled in there.





	1. Good Intentions, Bad Reminders

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was NOT supposed to get this long. This was supposed to be a drabble. OOPS.
> 
> I originally intended for this to be a cute, little fic for Valentine's Day, but this turned into a true monster of a story. I'll update the rating and tags as the story progresses. There'll be a ton of family feels between the Mighty Nein members, so get ready for a lot of family fluff in between all of the Caleb angst! There's not a lot of shipping moments in this chapter, but it'll happen. Just be patient with me as I try to tackle this sudden surge of inspiration :) Lol

If the sound of the tavern door slamming against the wall didn’t catch the attention of the Mighty Nein, Jester squealing at the top of her lungs definitely did. She twirled over with an armful of something, disrupting a lot of other patrons within the tavern who were starting to eat a late breakfast. Once she was over with her companions, they could see the many pastries that she had been holding as she began to place them down and unwrap them all.

“Happy Eros Day!” Jester shouted, not paying mind to the side-eyeing from the next table over.

Trailing behind her also carrying an armful of pastries was Nott. Caleb raised an eyebrow at the display, now understanding where his companion had disappeared to this morning. Nott wasn’t normally an early riser, and it had certainly waved a red flag in Caleb’s mind when he woke up to find her missing from the room. He didn’t think danger, but it was unusual. He glanced at some of the more dessert items being set out before looking back down at his book.

Beau rolled her eyes but helped unwrap everything. Fjord just cleared his throat, shifting in his seat as he eyed the many other tavern patrons that weren’t so thrilled about the sudden spike in volume. It was late morning by all accounts, but it was still considered courteous to keep your voice down until at least noon. By all means, half of these citizens had only just now woken up to eat.

Fjord’s voice wavered even after clearing his throat. “Um, Jester--?”

“Nott and I bought everyone pastries because it’s a _holiday_ !” Jester’s voice dipped down an octave like it usually did when she was excited. She made quick work of setting all the pastries in a nice display on the table. It was quite a mix of fresh bread, sweet rolls, doughnuts, and a few cupcakes. “There’s no cinnamon, _but_ they had a few honey-glazed rolls that are _the best!_ I taste-tested them to be sure because I only wanted to get _the best_ , of course!”

Nott raised up a finger after she added to the pastry pile. “They’re too sweet in my opinion, but they had this bread that has salt on the top of it? In case anyone else here doesn’t want to rot your teeth.”

Caduceus smiled wide and gentle. “That’s very considerate of you both. They all sound wonderful.”

“Wait.” Beau picked up one of the mentioned honey-glazed rolls and sniffed it. “Eros Day is today?”

Jester gasped. “ _Beau!_ How could you not know? It’s only one of the best holidays of the year!”

“Jester, you do say that about most holidays,” Nott pointed out as she scurried up into a chair.

“That’s because there’s so many good holidays to celebrate.” Jester had her hands on her hips. She shook her head, tsking under her breath in mock reprimand. “I can’t believe you didn’t know.”

“This is a lot, Jester, Nott,” Fjord pointed out, grateful if not a little overwhelmed. It wasn’t as if this was the first time Jester had done a large display for the group, but Fjord was always respectful of it. “Do…? I can throw in some coin to help pay for it.”

“ _Oh_ , don’t be silly, Fjord.” Jester leaned down to throw her arms around his neck. It caught Caleb’s attention, although no one notice him stop reading to peer up at them.

Jester showed casual, physical affection with all of them on a regular basis, but Fjord remained thrown by it. His face warmed as his shoulders tensed up. Jester just giggled. “These are gifts. You’re supposed to give gifts to the people you _love_. It’s tradition.”

Caleb’s stomach turned. He swallowed against the sudden dryness in his throat. His eyes darted back down to his book before muttering, “It’s modern tradition, yes.”

Beau scowled, looking over to him now. “Caleb--.”

Jester interrupted her with a gasp. “Ohhh! Caleb, are you hiding some secret, really cool, and romantic traditions that I don’t know about?”

Caleb could feel that Jester was leaning over him now, casting a small shadow over the pages of his book. He didn’t look up. “It’s a really violent history, _ja_? Eros Day, centuries ago, was the annual day that suitors around the kingdom could have gladiatorial fights to prove their worth. The last man standing could ask for the princess’s hand in marriage.”

Jester tilted her head. “That’s silly. What if she was already married? She couldn’t have suitors _every_ year.”

There was a lack of interest in his tone as he trailed off about the nation’s history, “Well, if there was no one to court, men would come to fight for the queen’s love, so to speak. Metaphorically. The one to live would get the queen’s blessing to join the royal army. All of the kingdom would come to watch them all fight to the death. It was a rite of Eros. The highest form of staying true to the religion and to prove one's love--to the Empire, mind you--was to risk and potentially forfeit your life.”

The mirth lessened in Jester’s voice. “That--that’s awful.”

Beau was still scowling. “Way to kill the mood, Caleb.”

Caleb glanced up at Beau and in turn saw Fjord giving him a look out of the corner of his eye. His stomach knotted, and his voice became small. “I cannot change our nation’s history.”

“You can’t change being an asshole either. Hey, Jester.” Beau raised up the bread roll she had already taken a bite out of. “These are amazing. What else is on our agenda today for Eros Day?”

That, however, redirected everyone’s attention. Surprise washed over a lot of the Mighty Nein. Jester’s eyes widened, but Nott spoke up first, skeptical. “You _want_ to celebrate Eros Day?”

Beau locked eyes with all of them, shoulders tensing. “ _What?_ I can’t have a little fun? We were planning on staying in town for a few days anyway. Why? You got plans I don’t know about?”

Fjord gave a small, amused smile. The previous tension that was starting to build had disappeared just as quick. “I think that sounds like a great idea. We could use a little break. There’s no harm in a little gift giving. There’ll probably be a festival going on tonight in town we could visit for an hour or two.”

“And dancing and _kissing!_ ” Jester brightened again. She pursed her lips and made a few dramatic, kissing noises before sliding into the empty chair beside Beau. She turned to Caduceus on the other side of her. “Caduceus, did you ever celebrate Eros Day?”

“Why yes.” Caduceus gave a warm smile as he paused to recollect some memories. “Cooking for your loved ones was a good way to bring everyone together. We would share our favorite memories with each other to show how much we cherish those relationships.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet, Caduceus! We should do that, you guys!”

Nott’s lip curled when she frowned. “Sounds very cheesy.”

“Oh, Nott,” Jester cooed. “Don’t you want to hear what my favorite memory with you is? There’s _so_ many to choose from. I might have to share a couple.”

Nott stared down for a long minute at the salty bread slice she’d torn off for herself. “That… That sounds nice. Okay. I’ll allow it.”

Jester gasped as an idea came to mind. She eyed everyone in the group when she asked, “Wait! What other traditions do you guys do? We should do all of them!”

Beau shot a pointed look to Caleb. “Well…”

“I think we already do Caleb’s tradition.” The soft, subtle voice of Yasha caught everyone’s attention. She had been munching quietly on a ripped of piece of salty bread up until this point. Her voice wavered when she realized all eyes were on her, but she carried on. “We fight for our lives a lot. I… I care about all of you and would die for any of you.”

Caleb felt the tips of his ears burn at the sudden reassurance. “It’s not my tradition. It’s just the origin of Eros Day.” He paused. “Thank you, Yasha. I am very squish, you could say. You being there has indeed saved a lot of us.”

Caduceus grinned. He stepped in, always having a way of pulling the group together to make moments more meaningful than originally thought to be. “And your spells have saved us back. That was very well said, Yasha. I think we have a lot of traditions we could reflect on and share today.”

“Uh… Well,” Fjord was scratching the back of his neck, “we didn’t really celebrate Eros Day specifically back on sea, but we would drink and play games on holidays.”

“See?” Caduceus upturned his hand in gesture. “Now, that sounds like a fun time. We can end our day here. I’ll make tea unless, Jester, you would rather have milk. I know you don’t usually drink alcohol.”

“Tea sounds good, Caduceus. Thank you.”

“Sorry, but I’ll stick to what I know,” Nott rejected and took out her flask at the mention of drink. “No offense.”

Caduceus smiled. “None taken.”

“Okay, so what?” Beau leaned back in her chair, kicking her feet up on the table. Fjord grimaced, eyeing how close her feet were to some of the pastries but said nothing. “We’re going to see if there’s a festival going on in town, uh, dance, and come back here for games and drinking?”

“And share stories,” Nott reminded. “After drinking?”

“Yes!” Jester clapped her hands together. “This is going to be the best Eros Day yet, you guys. Don’t forget we have to give each other gifts too!”

Beau lulled her head back and groaned. “Jester, all of us can’t give _everyone_ a gift. We’d be broke.”

“Um.” Yasha swallowed and stared down at the table, not meeting anyone’s eyes. “We would… Zuella and I always liked flowers, but it was custom in my tribe to give natural gifts. Just… things you found that reminded you of someone. You didn’t spend any money. It was just something you found.”

“Oh.” Beau was looking at Yasha intently before clearing her throat into her fist. Caduceus gave her a knowing look but waited for Beau to continue. She didn’t seem to notice the stare. Beau’s voice dipped down into something less abrasive. “That’s very thoughtful, Yasha. We could do that.”

“It’ll be like a treasure hunt, but like for other people!” Jester grinned, her purple eyes wide with wonder. “I can write everyone’s name down, and we can all pick someone so it’s a surprise and nobody gets left out because that would be pretty shitty.”

“It has to be organic?”

Beau raised an eyebrow at Caleb, who finally piped up, and Jester brightened at his peaked interest. Yasha gave a small shrug and shook her head. “Not necessarily? We were just around nature a lot, you know? You just find something that reminds you of them that’s special. It doesn’t… It doesn’t have to be a plant.”

“I call Caleb.”

Caleb’s head jerked up the second Beau wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him in closer to her. The sudden physical contact made him tense up, but he didn’t make any move to get out of the headlock.

Nott gave Beau a look. “I believe that’s cheating.”

“Yeah, well, Caleb is going to get the stick out of his butt and enjoy the fucking holiday for once or so help me I’m going to break your neck.”

“Noted,” Caleb acknowledged, noncommittal. He gave her a blank look as best he could from this angle but gave it up to make eye contact with his known klepto companion at the table. “Nott, stealing is also breaking the rules of the treasure hunt.”

“I would never.”

Caleb raised an eyebrow at her.

“ _What?_ Why am I the only one who gets a talk? What about Fjord?!” Nott pointed an accusing finger at the half-orc who jerked back in his chair in surprise.

“ _Me?!”_

“Yes, you! You think you’re so cool with your sweet talking and nice jawline, but I’m onto you!”

“Nott, I’m not gonna--.” Fjord cleared his throat, lowering his voice as he glanced around at some of the other patrons in the tavern that were looking over to their group again. “I’m not gonna _steal_ something.”

Nott hummed in obvious disagreement, giving him a look before taking another shot from her flask. The corner of Caleb’s mouth turned up. Fjord definitely wasn’t one to steal from shopkeeps in town. It was a fairly obvious ruse to the rest of the party that Nott was just trying to deflect blame. Caleb’s eyes lingered on Fjord, the smile slowly slipping off his face before looking back down at his book. He didn’t open it again but busied himself with running a hand over its frayed cover.

Jester ripped a page out of her journal and tore it into pieces to write people’s names on it. She was still chewing on a doughnut she had stuffed halfway into her mouth when she said, “That’s fine, Beau, an’ Nott no steal’n. Ever’one no peeking! I can’t cu’ the pap’rr even.”

 

\--

 

“Happy Anniversary.”

Astrid stood in front of a full body mirror. Her hair was draped over one shoulder as she dragged a fine-tooth comb through the locks. The clothes she wore were fierce, elegant. The rich green top she wore had a golden trim, neck open wide to reveal her chest and shoulders. The bottom edge of it fanned out loose and free, falling well past her waist. The sunlight pouring through the nearby, open window reflected off her thick, golden chain necklace that she was careful not to get her hair tangled in. The fine, black pants she wore were tucked neatly into her matching black boots that had golden buckles.

She was beautiful, standing unmoved on the pristine, wooden floor like she was exactly where she needed to be. Everything in the room was exactly where it needed to be. The sheer, red curtains weren’t ruffled or dusty, the black furred rug was still fluffy and clean, and the bed sheets were tucked and unwrinkled. Everything was in its place, motionless, prim. The necklace on Astrid’s chest gleamed. The wooden floor shined. Her eyes did not.

Caleb stood in the doorway, fidgeting. He kept adjusting his grip on the flower bouquet he held and shifted his weight back and forth. He didn’t enter the room. Astrid didn’t move and didn’t acknowledge him.

“I should cut my hair,” she said instead.

The room was silent. Caleb ran a hand through his red hair, fussing not for the first time with it today. Stray strands were falling everywhere. He kept trying to comb them back with his fingers but failed. He adjusted the high collar of his shirt as if it were choking him.

He cleared his throat. “Short hair would suit you.”

Astrid stopped combing her hair, stilling and staring at him now through the mirror. “Does long hair suit me?”

Caleb straightened and shifted his weight again under the scrutiny. “I--. Yes, of course it does, Astrid.”

Astrid frowned. She didn’t sigh, but Caleb felt it anyway. “Bren, did you really bring me flowers?”

Caleb’s grip on the flowers tightened. He gulped against the dryness of his throat, words lost on his tongue. Astrid didn’t turn and didn’t look away from the mirror, but she extended a hand out in request. Caleb approached her, not stepping on the rug. Every step against the wood was loud and creaking. He looked down at the array of red, white, and yellow flowers before handing them over. Astrid took them and studied them for a moment. They were close to her chest but didn’t touch her. Her eyes closed as she breathed them in. Breathing them out was the sigh that didn’t make it out before.

“Do you not like them?” Caleb’s voice was solemn.

Astrid raised an eyebrow, turning towards him now. A smirk played on her lips. She reached up to place a hand on Caleb’s face and rubbed her thumb over his cheek. “You really are the star-gazing, puppy-dog lover type.”

Caleb opened his mouth, words stuck in his throat. Astrid patted his face as a smile formed on her lips. She shook her head. “Come on, lover, we’re going to be late to the assembly.”

Caleb smiled back and nodded. “Are you ready?”

“Always.” Astrid pulled Caleb down enough so that she could give him a peck on the cheek.

She placed the flowers on the bed before walking out of the room. They lied there just outside of the sun’s reach, wilting with every passing second.

 

\--

 

Everyone had scattered through town, going alone, finding each other, leaving again. Everyone had their designated person to find a gift for, and no one wanted to ruin the surprise of what they’d found. Caleb mostly walked by himself, poking into bookshops more than anything. They’d only been back in town for a day, but they’d already restocked on supplies. He didn’t need to buy anymore parchment and ink, but he could spend hours on end in any bookstore. It wasn’t long until Nott caught him.

The little goblin kept her hood tucked tightly over her head and porcelain mask high. She gave a small nod to the half-elf shopkeeper but ducked her head down and quickened her pace through the shop after that. Caleb had been the only customer before her arrival. It wasn’t hard to find him in such a small shop. He was in the middle of thumbing through a book called _The Mysteries of Histories_ when Nott climbed up on a nearby stool.

“Caleb, you’re not allowed to buy yourself a present.”

Caleb raised an eyebrow and shot a quick glance at her. “We’re not supposed to buy presents at all, _ja?_ ”

Nott squinted her eyes. “Did you get your present already?”

Caleb continued to read, distracted. Nott leaned forward so quickly the stool rocked. “Caleb! You didn’t get me a present?!”

“I--.”

“No! _No!_ ” Nott clamped her eyes shut as she kept a tight grip on the edge of the stool. “Don’t spoil who you’re looking for!”

There was a brief pause before Nott peaked open an eye. “But was it me?”

“Nott, that question is contradictory.”

Nott grumbled and readjusted her mask, giving up the ruse. “Well, I’m sure you found the perfect gift.”

Caleb hummed and turned the page. “I don’t know about perfect, but one can only hope the gift I find will be adequate.”

“Right…” Nott’s head snapped up. “Find? _Find?_ Caleb, you didn’t find one yet?! I was just joking before!”

Caleb stiffened. He closed the book and returned it to the shelf. “ _Nein._ Not yet.”

“You didn’t get me a gift?!”

“Nott, I didn’t get you a gift.”

“...You didn’t get _someone else_ a gift?!”

“ _Nein._ ”

“Caleb, you have to get a gift!” Nott fell off the chair this time. The stool clattering to the ground with her, but thankfully didn’t knock anything else over.

The half-elf man who had a yellow scarf wrapped tightly around his neck and chin leaned over the counter. He cleared his throat as he stared down the hall at them, but his voice still sounded scratchy from lack of use. “Is everything alright over there?”

Caleb flinched and forced an awkward smile and even more awkward, half wave. “Um, yes. Sorry. We’ll be leaving soon.”

The half-elf paused. “C-Can I help you find anything?”

“No, _no_. Um, thank you.”

Caleb walked over to where Nott was still lying sprawled out on her back. His scarf and red hair hung down loosely as he leaned over her, a strange look on his face. “Nott, are you quite alright?”

Nott huffed out a sigh but didn’t move. The octave of her voice returned to normal when she asked with a seriousness, “Whose name did you pull?”

Caleb shifted his weight. “It… would spoil the surprise, _ja?_ ”

Nott frowned and pushed herself up onto her elbows. “I know when you’re avoiding my questions.”

Caleb sighed but said nothing.

“Is it Beau? You could probably get her anything. She hates everything equally.”

Caleb smirked, humored in spite of himself. He reached a hand down and helped Nott to her feet. “You’re probably right about that one.”

“It’s not Beau, is it?” Nott stepped closer to Caleb to clutch his coat. Personal space was never a problem when it came to the two of them. It was particularly present when one or the other knew something was wrong.

“No, it’s not Beau.”

“...Is it me?”

“No, _schatz_ , it’s not you.”

The chill wind hit them when they stepped out of the shop. Unfortunately, the wind had picked up some as night drew closer. The festival was going to be outside. It wasn’t snowing, but it was certainly a few degrees colder than what was comfortable. Everyone was going to be dressed warmly if they wanted to enjoy the festivities for more than a few minutes. Despite the small, port town, Caleb was certain the festival would still draw a crowd. People didn’t care if it was heavy snow or blistering heat. Holidays brought a certain kind of determination out of people. Certain days were just special to people.

The thought made Caleb’s heart ache.

The feeling was chased away by Nott reaching up to hold Caleb’s hand. He looked down to find her already looking back up at him. She offered, “Do you need help? I already found my gift.”

“I think that would be cheating.”

“I won’t tell anyone.”

Caleb sighed and shook his head. “No. I’ll find something.”

Nott’s lip curled in annoyance. “Caleb, the festival starts at sunset.”

“I still have an hour.” Caleb glanced up at the sky before looking back down at her. “Go meet up with the others. I’ll catch up.”

Nott squinted. “And it’s not me?”

This time a smile reached Caleb’s face, small but still present nonetheless. Nott smiled back. She shook her head and let go of Caleb’s hand. “Okay but hurry. Just get anything. I don’t think anyone will mind.”

Caleb wrapped his coat tighter around himself as he watched his goblin companion scurry off down the street. The smile didn’t last long on his face. He reached a hand down into his pocket, crinkling the slip of paper kept there. He fidgeted with it before pulling it out and stretching it out in front of him. His stomach turned as he sucked in a deep breath that did little to ease him.

The slip of paper just said one word: _Fjord._


	2. Conflict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb knows he should talk to Fjord. He tries. Well, sort of.
> 
> Meanwhile, Caduceus is a good friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to upload this a few days ago, but the last two days were busy for me. Finally had enough time this morning to finish editing. Somehow, this chapter is longer than chapter one. What the heck???

Ice Toads. Of all annoying things to run into, they got jumped in the middle of the night by a swarm of ice toads. Well, technically it was a _knot_ of toads but still. The Mighty Nein had never faced these icy blue amphibians before. Jester had even called one of them cute offhandedly, pointing out how instead of being slimy they just glistened like crystals in the moonlight. They were harmless… at first. The three that had originally passed through the encampment were barely a challenge.

The other twenty, twenty-five, or so definitely were.

They weren’t just normal-sized toads that just happened to be blue and crystal-like either. No, they stood maybe five feet tall, could fling themselves a good fifteen to twenty feet at a time, and just standing near them would make ice form and pierce your skin. It was a very rude awakening to be chased out of your camp by near flying, winter frogs that were much more interested in trying to swallow you than a fly.

Caleb had channeled a fireball at some of them. Camping and traveling near the coastline meant there weren't a lot of trees to worry about catching aflame. Caduceus had his beetles try to eat one of them, but the cold aura the toads gave off proved to be too much for them. Jester's giant lollipop pummeled a couple, and she leaped up into the air with a fist held high in delight at each victory. Fjord blasted some from afar. The vibrant purple of the magic crashed into the sides of a few toads before making their skin bubble and sizzle. They weren’t doing terribly, but there were too many to just pick off. Their speed and agility meant it’d be all too easy for them to leap onto the backliners if Beau and Yasha didn’t charge into the ring.

Yasha got grappled by a few of them once surrounded, but a quick, full-bodied shout sent her into a battle rage. She lifted one up above her head before chunking it a few feet away. Beau wasn't as lucky. She had kept most of them at bay with her quarterstaff, whacking them backwards with the help of Nott The Brave’s crossbow bolts shooting. However, the sheer number of them that tried to surround her proved to be too many. They didn't have teeth, but the icy smack of their mouths against skin felt like a burn in itself.

“ _Beauregard!_ ” Caleb shouted as Beau yelled out against the stinging pain from the toad that held tight to one of her arms.

Thankfully, a crossbow bolt to the eye stopped another from attempting to grapple Beau's other arm. Nott cursed at them from behind a rock nearby to try to get their attention, but they didn't pay much mind. It didn't matter though. Caleb had already reached into his components pouch and sprinkled some iron powder into his palms. The magical energy surging through his hands made his skin tingle as he recited a few arcana words. Beau's size stretched to seven feet, eight, nine _, ten_ feet tall. It didn't take long after that for her to fling the toad off her and stomp it to death with a satisfied grin.

The battle had finally turned on its head now that they'd managed a decent spot to engage these creatures. It didn't take long to drop the majority of them. There were maybe only three or four left when one decided to leap away from the others… and land right in front of Caleb's face. Caleb’s heartbeat spiked as the sudden proximity knocked Caleb off balance. The dead, glossy-eyed stare from the toad sent a shiver up his spine. Caleb could hear shouting, but it sounded like he was underwater, distorted and distant.

The toad opened its mouth, and its chilly breath made the hair on Caleb's arm stand. Just its presence was freezing the moisture in the air, and Caleb flinched against the bitter sting of ice already forming on his skin.

“ _Fir hoska vilth!_ ” Caleb shouted the arcana, channeling the abjuration magic. He flung an arm up towards the sky, and a translucent, rippling barrier formed between him and the toad. It did little to snuff out the cold, but it did stop the toad from snapping its jaws him.

Caleb skittered backwards. The toad tried to lunge again for him but slammed into the shield spell once more. The barrier buzzed and shook from impact, but the drumming of Caleb’s own heart drowned out the noise of it. Caleb kept his eyes on the toad when he hurried back, difficult to pay attention to much else. He felt it well before seeing it as a result. The heel of his foot caught more air than ground as he discovered the coastal ledge was closer than he expected, but it was too late to right himself.

“ _Caleb!_ ” Fjord shouted.

He was falling.

Caleb had already been quick on the draw with securing the barrier between himself and the toad. He couldn't act fast enough to pull the feather out of his pouch, even though his brain was already chanting the words for _feather fall._ He watched himself plummet, the toad moving farther and farther away. Five feet, ten, fifteen…

The toad leaped down after the wizard, and Caleb’s stomach dropping out was a result of more than just the fall. All he could think as his eyes squeezed shut was, ‘Of course. Of course the toad would.’

Pain like electricity shot through him as he impacted onto dirt, sand, and rocks thirty feet below. He groaned, curling into himself as he could do little to brace for the toad that would inevitably crush him.

 

* * *

 

“Those are nice.” The smooth, deep voice of Caduceus made Caleb look up from the glass figurines he was inspecting.

Just as Caleb had predicted, the center of town was filled with people now that the sun was on the verge of setting. Children laughed as they chased each other through the crowd, their parents shouting after them. Teenagers were already buying whatever looked the weirdest, the loudest, or most flammable as they huddled together in groups. A lot of couples were already making their way away from the vendors and stands to go where the music was picking up in volume. The dancing would start soon, and none of the couples wanted to be the last ones there, probably wanting to get their fun in before the teens and families finished shopping and joined in.

The glass Swallow that Caleb was fidgeting with caught the sunlight, flaring a light blue. It was eye catching. Caduceus, however, knew Caleb’s opinion regardless.

Caduceus hummed as he leaned in to get a better look at it. “Not the right one though, I’d imagine.”

Caleb didn’t bother disagreeing with him and put it back on display. “Yes, you’d be correct.”

“You want it to be perfect.”

It wasn’t a question, and it made Caleb’s shoulders tense. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets and didn’t make eye contact. He defended, “And you don’t care about its quality?”

The blond-haired shop owner whose hair was buzzed on both sides of her head looked over at them. The couple she was helping finished their purchase just in time for her to catch the tail end of what Caleb was saying. A wide, business grin stretched across her face.

“There’s no finer glassblowing along the coast than here in Halsworthy. If the birds aren’t to your liking, might I suggest a cat or dog? The pet ones are some of our highest requested.”

Caleb admittedly had been eyeing the glass cat figurine that was cleaning its fur. It reminded him an awful lot of Frumpkin for some reason more than the others.

“How much for the cat?” Caduceus asked, cutting through Caleb’s train of thought to point to the one he was eyeing. “It’s very cute.”

“Ah, yes!” The woman picked it up to display it in her palm. “A real winner this one. They say if a cat’s comfortable enough to clean its fur around ye’, there’s a strong trust and bond there. Put this trinket in your house and it’ll strength the relationships you have. All for the agreeable price of two gold.”

Caleb wanted to point out the falsehood in the cat’s fur story but was too distracted by Caduceus reaching into his pouch to pull out a few gold coins.

“Very agreeable,” Caduceus said as he plopped the coin into the woman’s free hand.

“Enjoy!”

There was a bitterness sitting in Caleb’s chest, but he didn’t reject the wrapped figurine that Caduceus gifted over to him. It was a nice gesture. Unnecessary but nice. He still shoved it and his hands into his pockets, pulling his coat inward and walking a little too stiff. Caduceus followed after Caleb as they made their way away from the glassblower and back through the crowd.

“You didn’t pull my name from the drawing,” Caleb pointed out as they continued by different shops. “Jester didn’t write my name down because Beauregard is buying for me.”

Caduceus smiled, amused and yet still somehow polite. “I believe no one is buying anything, Mr. Caleb.”

The bitter knot in Caleb’s chest tightened. “You did.”

Caduceus paid no mind to Caleb’s frustration, his smiling widening. When he spoke, he sounded almost surprised like he hadn’t even considered the connection. “I did.”

The large, towering firbolg seemed adamant about following Caleb, even though Caleb didn’t have a destination in mind. He knew he wasn’t supposed to buy anything, but he was here anyway. He glanced at shops with little interest, wasting more and more time until the inevitable exchange. He heard the first song in the distance over the crowd come to an end. He wondered who all Jester had already dragged over there with her.

She probably talked Fjord into going.

“Quality doesn’t mean what you think it means.”

Caleb paused. The two had reached the edge of one side of the shops. There were only a few people here. The vendors here were already packing up for the dance and food festivities or were too uninteresting to gain any attention. Caduceus stopped with him. He was close, being the other member of the Mighty Nein besides Jester who sought out physical contact, but remained respectful of Caleb’s space.

Caleb ran the sentence through his mind a few times, but still came up confused. “What?”

“I care about quality,” Caduceus explained, “but quality doesn't mean perfection.”

Caduceus paused, frowning for a minute before laughing. “Well, perfection also means something different.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You were looking at the craftsmanship. It was very nice, but it wasn’t perfect for me. It was perfect for you. That’s what quality is a lot of times. What is something nice to me might not be what is nice to you.”

Caleb fidgeted with the wrapping of the glass figurine in his pocket, feeling his irritation melt away all at once. It was hard to be angry around Caduceus. He sighed. “Craftsmanship is important though. There are some things that nobody likes.”

“Hm, maybe. I think the person you’re looking for a gift for isn’t so complex.”

Caleb gave a small nod, considering. He was too tired to argue, and a part of him wanted to let the calming atmosphere around Caduceus to overtake his worries and irritations. There were still a lot of noisy thoughts buzzing through his head, but a small smirk began to pull at the corner of Caleb’s mouth. He glanced over to the firbolg. “Are you calling my cat ugly?”

Caduceus's laugh was soft, but his whole body shook with it. “It was nice, but no, I do not like it.”

The ache in Caleb’s chest reminded him that he hadn’t had Frumpkin with him all day. The business of everyone preparing for holiday events had occupied all of his thoughts until now. Caleb couldn’t snapped his fingers fast enough. The tabby cat appeared by his legs, sitting poise, and blinking up at him with a doe-eyed look. It calmed the sores and aches inside of him. Frumpkin nuzzled his head against Caleb’s leg, producing a smile from the man. When Caleb reached down, Frumpkin leaped into his arms and continued to snuggle into him.

“Oh.” Caduceus actually looked embarrassed. He hunched in on himself as a little bit of pink dusted his cheeks. “I did not mean my opinion on Frumpkin.”

“Hm?” Caleb glanced in between the cat in his arms that he was scratching and Caduceus, realizing. A smirk played again on his lips. “Ah, so you don’t like cats?”

This made Caduceus pause. He considered it a moment. “We never had cats growing up. If most cats are like Frumpkin, I think I would have liked it very much.”

Caleb could feel Frumpkin’s purr vibrate through his chest at the compliment. “ _Nein_ , Frumpkin is a special cat.”

“Indeed,” Caduceus agreed, smiling again.

 

* * *

 

The falchion protruding out of the ice toad’s face was the first thing Caleb focused on after he blinked the black spots out of his vision. His entire body ached, and he shivered against the cold touch of the toad on top of him. Blue blood dripped from the blade and onto Caleb’s face, making him jerk his head to the side. The world spun with it, and he felt his stomach turn in reflex. The air, however, began to warm. If that wasn’t an indicator of the toad’s death, the weight of its body going limp on top of him when Fjord pulled back the falchion surely was.

Fjord pressed his shoulder up against the ice toad’s body, grunting as he used all his weight to shove it over. Caleb was conscious, yes, but he lost time in between the toad being pushed off of him and Fjord slapping at his face, trying to keep him lucid. When did Fjord get on top of him?

“Caleb? Caleb?! Hey, pal, open up,” Fjord tried to coax, but the panic in his voice was far from comforting.

Caleb groaned, but this time he definitely felt Fjord’s hands on his face to keep his head steady and facing forward. “No, no, no. Hey, look at me.”

Caleb’s brown furrowed. Something sounded off, but he couldn’t make sense of the detail his brain was trying to explain to him. He knew Fjord wanted him to open his eyes, but all he could do was squeeze them tighter against the spasm in his ribs. Apparently, it didn’t matter though. The lip of a bottle was being shoved into his mouth, and Caleb coughed against the sudden drink being poured down his throat.

“Easy. Easy,” Fjord tried to assure. “Let’s get you back to good.”

The magical healing properties of the potion definitely cleared the haze of his mind. Although there was still a dull ache all over, the potion had snuffed out a lot of the pulsing pain in his system. Caleb groaned as he took deep breaths in and out, trying to steady himself. It hit him then. Fjord’s voice. That’s what was misplaced. It was hard to really hear him while Caleb was fighting for consciousness, but he made the connection now. He wouldn’t have noticed at all if he hadn’t heard it previously. He never did bring that up to Fjord after they’d left that underwater cavern now that he was thinking about it. Well, there was a lot he hadn’t brought up…

Caleb coughed against the tingling sensation of his wounds closing. His chest tightened as a normal side effect from the healing potion, a natural panic of his body against the sudden surge of healing. Caleb realized then that Fjord was still on top of him, a leg on either side of his stomach as he straddled him. He’d pulled the potion away, but one hand remained on Caleb’s face. He gave Caleb a light squeeze before pulling away and off of him. It was cold again, and Caleb shivered from the loss.

“Better?” Fjord asked as he offered down a hand.

Caleb went to sit up but didn’t get but a few inches off the ground. Pain spiked through him as the muscles around his rib cage spasmed. _Scheiße._

“Whoa! _Easy._ ” Fjord closed the distance again, bending down to clutch his shoulder. His other had was loose around Caleb’s side, and Fjord did what he could to keep Caleb from jostling too much.

Caleb sat up best he could with Fjord’s help. “I have a broken rib or two.”

“Shit. Jester’s going to have to look at that. Maybe Caduceus. He was closer to us when you fell.”

Caleb’s brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of something. Fjord had definitely come down too quickly for just climbing down. Fjord didn’t look hurt, but it was hard for Caleb to tell in this state. “You jumped?”

“I--.” Fjord rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorta. I used a little bit of magic to close the distance.”

 _Misty step._ “Ah. Can you--?”

“Of course.”

It took a few attempts with Fjord’s help, but Caleb managed to get to his feet without feeling like his chest was going to burst from the pressure in his ribs. He wobbled. He felt shaky, but he knew most of his unease was still over the ice toad that had been determined to put him in an early grave. He glanced over to its body that was slumped over and beginning to turn grayish now that its natural ice radiance was snuffed out. A hand squeezing his arm steadied Caleb’s mind, and he realized Fjord had yet to move away. When Caleb looked up, Fjord pulled his hand back almost immediately. The half-orc’s attention darted away, almost as if caught.

Fjord stared up at the cliffside instead, hesitating before commenting, “It won’t be an easy climb up from this side…”

The anxiety in Fjord’s voice was as clear to Caleb as his own. It definitely wasn’t going to be an easy climb. The pain in his side would spike if he moved wrong, even though the healing potion had done good work of everything else. The thought of scaling the cliffside was an awful one. The ledge would lessen, maybe disappear altogether, if they walked far enough, but it would definitely take a lot longer than the battle above would take. The sound of the ocean waves not too far away was louder now than the sounds of their friends in combat, but the water was little threat. If they were forced to stay down here, they wouldn’t have to worry about much danger at least for now. Well, Caleb would be safe anyway.

“ _Danke,_ Fjord,” Caleb’s voice was rough from exhaustion. “You can join the others. I’m safe for now, _ja_?”

“Oh.” Fjord’s head whipped back around to Caleb, but he was still having trouble meeting his eyes. His face looked a little deeper green than it had a moment ago. “Uh… I might be dry on spells. I, uh, used my last one to get down here.”

“Oh,” Caleb echoed. He had lost track of Fjord during that last fight and knew he had a limited use of magic. Being a warlock and not a wizard or sorcerer meant Fjord had a burst of magic he could use more often than most spellcasters, but it was like striking a match. It flares bright but fast. “Well, our companions are very capable. If it got worse, we’d hear more commotion.”

“Right.” Fjord sounded distant, but he didn’t protest.

“I am not spent. You can climb, and if you should fall, I can make sure you don’t meet the same fate as I did.”

“What? No.” Fjord came back to himself. Whatever he was fighting with a moment ago, something had won out. He shook his head, and the usual, leader-like authority came back to his voice. “Any way you can message Nott and let her know we’re cut off?”

“Of course, I can.” Caleb reached for the copper wire he kept, pushing his thumb along it as he muttered out, “ _Nott, Fjord and I appear to be stuck down here. Tie off a rope if you need us up there any time soon._ ”

The reply was almost instant. _“Oh, thank the gods you’re not dead. I hate these fuckers! We’ll throw a rope down when we’re done.”_

Thankfully, it was as Caleb thought. They were still fighting, but they were handling what was left. It helped that both clerics were still up there with them. Caleb opened his mouth to relay the message to Fjord, but Nott’s voice cut through his mind again.

_“If Fjord turns evil and tries to kill you, throw a fireball or something into the air, and I’ll come rip his throat out. You can reply to this message.”_

Caleb wasn’t sure what kind of look was on his face, but Fjord was raising an eyebrow at him now. It was a running gag of Nott’s ever since their sailing ventures. Caleb knew Nott trusted Fjord but also knew it was only a half joke. Neither of them trusted Fjord’s patron, and Nott was a natural worrier and protector of Caleb. The occasional uncertainty that wavered in these jokes wasn’t present this time. Caleb was chuckled.

_“Natürlich, liebling.”_

“More trouble?” Fjord prompted but already guessed the answer.

Caleb shook his head. “They’ll throw a rope down when it’s clear.”

The muscles in Fjord’s shoulders relaxed. There was a small moment between them. Fjord’s fleeting gaze made Caleb’s heart skip a beat as he tried to judge what was going through Fjord’s mind. A hand reached up to grab Caleb’s shoulder again. It was a loose touch, barely there, but it was steadying. Maybe it was a result of fighting the ice toads only minutes before, but Fjord’s touch felt almost hot. Once Caleb’s eyes tracked the movement, it felt nearly impossible to think of anything else. Caleb hadn’t really processed how close him and Fjord were standing until now. Caleb couldn’t feel his breath but swore he could feel the sound vibrations in the air, the deep and gentle tone of his voice as it carried. The sudden clenching of his throat stopped Caleb from meeting Fjord’s eyes. He kept his focus on the hand on his arm instead.

“Can you walk okay?” The soft worry did little to ease the ironic frog in Caleb’s throat.

Caleb just nodded a few times, shaky again. Fjord, if he noticed, made no comment on it and said, “We should hug the wall just in case anything else decides to jump down.”

That Caleb could comment on, anything to distract him from the creeping embarrassment. His voice was a lot rougher than he expected, and he had to clear his throat mid sentence. “ _Ja._ That’s, em, that we should… It was odd for the first one to jump down here. I don’t know much about ice toads, but it seemed extreme.”

“Yeah… Caleb?”

_The lamplight flickered as the ship rocked, casting long shadows through the room. It was the only light source here below the ship. There were no windows in this room, no portholes, nothing. The bedroom door was the only means in and out of the room, the only exit, and it stood closed and distant. Caleb was staring down at the tattered map that was displayed on the desk, but his eyes couldn’t focus on any of it. Fjord said his name again, and Caleb swallowed against the dryness of his throat._

_Scheiße._

He looked. He looked up. Fjord was standing close enough to make Caleb’s head whirl with thoughts. Fjord even leaned in without really realizing  it when he went to speak with him. Something sharp and ugly knotted in Caleb’s chest. This charged, volatile thing made Caleb straighten. He couldn’t. He couldn’t be here.

Fjord’s voice was quiet. There was care in his tone, and it only made white noise begin to buzz in Caleb’s ears.

“You’re sure you’re alright?”

_Don’t ask me that. Stop asking questions. Stop. Stop._

Caleb felt his face heating up. He nudged Fjord’s hand off. There wasn’t force behind it, but Fjord jerked his hand back as if he’d been _burned._ No. _No._ That’s not what Caleb wanted, or was it? Caleb’s voice was sharper than he meant it to be. “My ribs are broken. I’ve been better.”

Fjord didn’t flinch, but his expression dropped neutral. He took a step back, stiff. He sounded distant all over again, but this time Caleb knew why. “Right.”

The two of them turned to focus on the task of finding decent shelter, wanting to leave the awkward moment behind them but not doing a good job at it. They discovered a small cave off to the side, which made more sense as to why the toad leaped down. It was fleeing the scene to try to escape back home instead of having a strange, wicked vendetta against Caleb. The cool air emitting from the mouth of the cave was enough to steer them clear from it. It didn’t sound like there were more toads inside, but they didn’t want to chance it. They put a great deal of distance between them and the cave as they hugged the cliff wall on the opposite end.

Now that the threat of death or injury had faded, it was hard to ignore the tension that clung in the air. Neither of them spoke while they investigated. Even after they found a decent spot to wait away from immediate view from the bank, Fjord continued to inspect a few rocks around. He was adamantly not looking at Caleb, and Caleb knew it was his fault. He knew he got prickly when caught off guard, but he never really knew how to fix the inevitable tension caused by it.

Nott always kept Caleb’s sanity and feelings more relaxed, even with charged air. He always felt her absence in these moments, but it made him think of Beau as a result. She had the opposite effect. Just being around her could put him on edge sometimes, probably due to the fact that she never held back what she was thinking. She was loud, unapologetic. She always made the tension around Caleb escalate, but her advice was invaluable. Caleb’s first instinct was never to talk it out, but he started trying nowadays thanks to her influence.

“Fjord?” Caleb’s accent was heavy. _Feejord._ It made the half-orc pause what he was doing, but he didn’t turn yet. Truth be told, Caleb knew Fjord was an awkward person too underneath that front. It helped. He wanted… Well, Caleb was going to at least try to apologize. Fjord didn’t deserve all of… _this._

“Thank you for coming to my rescue.”

“I was right there. We weren’t just going to leave--.” As soon as the fight began in Fjord, his shoulders slumped. “Sorry… Of course, I did, Cay. You don’t have to thank me for that.”

“No, I do, I think,” Caleb insisted despite his throat turning dry. The distance between them was supposed to make him feel less suffocated, not worse. He didn’t want Fjord close to him, and yet he hated this too? Caleb kneaded his hands together, frustrated. “You’ve been kind, and I’ve been pretty shit, _ja_?”

“Caleb, you have a broken rib.” There was little humor behind Fjord’s chuckle. It was more an exhale, a hum, but Caleb was appreciative of him at least trying. “You’re allowed to be irritated.”

“I didn’t just mean today.”

Fjord’s smile wavered, expression turning unreadable. He said nothing. He looked at him as if waiting for Caleb to continue, but Caleb didn’t know what to say beyond that. Caleb shifted his weight as the smell of salt water and feeling of a warm, coastal breeze from a distant memory hit him. The expression Fjord had now was the same as the one he wore when he’d been leaning against the railing of the ship. The moonlight had brought out the strip of silver in his hair. He was facing away from the moon. The shadow that was cast over his face made his yellow eyes look as if they were glowing, and Caleb felt drawn to them like a ship lost in the night.

Caleb shuddered at the fading memory. Those yellow eyes were focused on him again, and he could feel the rising panic begin to close his throat. When Fjord spoke with his voice low and almost lost in its natural roughness, Caleb couldn’t tell if he was about to put him out of his misery or sink the nail into the coffin.

“Caleb, you don’t have to thank me for that,” Fjord repeated. “It wasn’t pity.”

Caleb’s brow wrinkled. “ _Was?_ ”

Fjord sighed, a weighted thing, before reaching up to clasp the back of his neck in nervous habit. Those yellow eyes looked away, and Caleb was lost. “I know you think Nott and Beau are the only people here who care what happens to you, but give the rest of us some credit.”

No, _no_. Caleb didn’t think that. He did once before, yes, but not for awhile. He never said it aloud like Fjord was--like Fjord _could_ \--but he knew deep down there were reasons the Mighty Nein stayed the Mighty Nein. Not all of it was because of simple protection.

“I-I... “ Caleb had been thrown overboard. He remembered so much, and yet somehow forgot how to swim.

“You can stop looking at me like you’re ready to grab your components pouch and run.” Fjord’s words were steady, harsh even. “What happened between me and Uk’otoa didn’t change me. I’m still the same person from before we left the docks.”

Caleb was drowning. He didn’t speak, opening his mouth only meant letting more water into his lungs. He was shaking. He knew he was. Every passing second of silence just felt like agony as he fought against the current he was sinking under.

“You and Nott don’t trust me. I get it. I read you loud and clear.” Fjord turned to look at Caleb again, and Caleb felt air returning to his lungs. It was too quick, too sudden. A gasp of air that made him light-headed. The ability to control water wasn’t the only power Fjord gained from the voyage. “You’re wrong, but I get it.”

“I’m not,” Caleb choked out.

Fjord tensed. Caleb knew it was the wrong thing to say, knew everything was coming out wrong, but he pushed forward anyway. “Nott trusts you. I--we both trust you.”

Fjord didn’t respond right away, and Caleb felt pinned against the open air. His hands wouldn’t stop shaking. He felt numb, unable to close them. The pressure in his chest was separate from the pain of his broken ribs. This is why Caleb never spoke up. Every time he tried to explain something, the words came out wrong. It always felt like he was speaking a language no one understood, broken Common, all wires getting crossed. Caleb didn’t know what else to say. What did Fjord want him to say?

Why did Fjord have this effect on him to begin with? Why did it matter where the trust lied? They were all in this together, and no one of the Mighty Nein had left. Everyone stayed regardless of such conversations, but Caleb felt the magnitude of this one. This was important to Fjord. Something twisted in Caleb’s chest, and he felt himself sinking again with realization. This was important to him too.

“...Hey.”

Caleb jolted as fingers brushed against the back of his hand. He blinked away the fog of his panic to take in reality again and noticed Fjord had closed the distance between them. Fjord didn’t say anything further, but the half-orc’s expression was far from neutral. The way his eyes searched Caleb’s face was particular as his hand hovered so close to Caleb’s own. He was unsure what was okay and what wasn’t. He was nervous, lost even.

There was a lot that Caleb knew he should explain, knew he should say. There were worries hidden away inside Fjord’s mind that were yet to be voiced. Caleb felt like he only just caught a glimpse behind the curtain. How could Fjord be carrying so much on his shoulders? There were things that never even occurred to Caleb that Fjord might think. Caleb was terrible at communication. Everyone knew that, but Fjord was supposed to be a communicator. What was holding him back from being open?

No, that wasn’t quite right. Fjord held his own insecurities and social unease, despite how charismatic and social he could be when he wanted to. Caleb had seen it. He kept seeing it. Why did Fjord even let him catch a glimpse of these skeletons in the closet to begin with? It was frustrating in ways Caleb didn’t want to acknowledge. Caleb shouldn’t care. It shouldn’t matter.

The touch of their hands was barely there, but it felt like electricity was shooting up Caleb’s arm. He didn’t know if it was better to be numb or to keep hovering here. Caleb stared down at it when he tried to regather his thoughts.

“You’re angry.” It was all Caleb could think to say.

Fjord’s expression twisted like it was Caleb who was gutting him now. Caleb continued on, “You’re angry for what happened back on the boat.”

The fast sound of boots hitting against a wooden floor and the slamming of a door echoed through Caleb's head. It was loud enough that he knew Fjord heard it too. Fjord closed his eyes, catching his breath. “No, I’m not angry about that.”

“You are. You’re angry with me, _ja_?”

Fjord’s jaw tightened. “Yes, but--.”

“For’ _rd_! Cay- _leb_!”

They both startled at the interruption. Their attention snapped up to see a familiar blue tiefling staring down at them from the top of the cliff. She waved. “You don’t have to hide. We killed them all, silly.”

“I’m throwing a rope down,” Yasha announced as she moved into view beside Jester. “You can tie it around your waist, and I can help pull you up if you like.”

Caleb definitely liked the sound of that a lot better than trying to maneuver himself up the cliff while injured. The air was still heavy around them. They made brief eye contact before Fjord moved away, cupped his hands over his mouth, and shouted, “Good idea! Throw it down!”

The Mighty Nein were beat from the fight--more drained than anything--but they managed to pack up their stuff to move the camp. The odds of anything coming to attack them again were slim, but they figured it’d be safer to relocate just in case. Jester made quick work of looking Caleb over in between it all. She set his bones in place, knocking the wind out of Caleb a few times but fixing him to the point where magical healing could mend what it couldn’t before. Caleb pulled his silver thread around the camp, setting up his usual _alarm_ spell once they all settled.

Fjord and Caduceus had claimed the last two watches until morning. When Caleb finished his ritual, he had caught Beau and Fjord talking. Their voices were low, hushed as Beau seemed to be questioning him about something. Caleb’s heartbeat was loud in his ears again, and he cursed his sudden unease. The conversation came to an abrupt stop when he approached, which didn’t help his suspicions. Beau just shrugged at his approach. She waved off a quick goodbye as she retired to her tent.

Fjord didn’t get any pleasantries. The moment Beau walked away, Fjord did as well. He took one look at Caleb, turned his back, and started off towards the edge of camp where he’d keep watch. Caleb took a few steps after him and just said, “Halsworthy.”

“Okay.”

“We’ll be there in a few days.”

It was supposed to be a promise, but Caleb couldn’t bring himself to say more. The town was a few hours walk from here. The Mighty Nein were planning on restocking their supplies and reflecting on their plans for the dodecahedron. They should talk. Caleb should talk. He knew that, but that promise felt trapped in his throat.

Fjord was a smart man. It didn’t matter what Caleb was trying to say. He heard what was lacking. He didn’t turn around, and the neutrality in his voice didn’t waver.

“Right.”

Caleb watched him leave. He took in a deep breath and felt the strength leave him on the exhale. He snapped his fingers, and Frumpkin appeared in his arms. Frumpkin gave a small mewl of concern when he blinked up at Caleb. He just held Frumpkin closer to his chest in response, curling in on himself as he dragged his feet towards his and Nott’s shared tent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me the entire time writing this: "Wait... WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED BACK ON THE BOAT?!"
> 
> Basically, this scene did not go as I originally planned. Things turned quite spicy, and I'm excited. ;)  
> I'm a sucker for angst, okay. What can I say. Rofl.
> 
> Festival fluff incoming tho for next chapter! And more angst. Because. I mean. That's just how I am as a writer rofl.
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed! They always make me smile. ❤


End file.
